Tom Kha Gai — Thai Coconut Soup with Galangal

Name: Tom Kha Gai — Thai Coconut Soup with Galangal
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 300 g Chicken Breast; 300 ml Coconut Milk; 500 ml Chicken Stock; 30 g Galangal; 3 pcs Lemongrass; 6 pcs Makrut Lime Leaf; 150 g White Button Mushrooms; 100 g Cherry Tomatoes; 2 tbsp Fish Sauce; 2 pcs Lime; 2 pcs Red Chili Pepper (Fresh); 1 handful Cilantro

Creamy Thai coconut soup with chicken, galangal, lemongrass and lime

Medium
40 min
4 serv.
3 synergies
Now at its best: Red Chili Pepper (Fresh)

A creamy Thai classic with chicken, coconut milk, galangal, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves. Lime juice, fish sauce and red chili give the soup its fresh, salty and spicy balance.

Tom Kha Gai is all about aroma and balance. Galangal, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves first infuse gently in the broth, making the base citrusy, fragrant and deep without feeling heavy. Then the coconut milk goes in: creamy, soft and rounded, but never meant to boil harshly. The chicken cooks briefly in that aromatic base, the mushrooms absorb the flavours and the tomatoes add a small fresh-sweet edge. Only at the very end do fish sauce, red chili and lime juice come in. That final moment wakes the soup up: sour, salty, creamy and spicy all at once. A bowl that feels warm, yet stays bright through lime and cilantro.

15: min prep
25: min cook
40: min total

Nutritional Synergies

This recipe combines ingredients that enhance each other:

Synergy

Galangal

Makrut Lime Leaf

Thai aromatics with bioactive action

Technical: Galangal contains galangin and HMP (hydroxymethoxyphenyl) with bioactive action. Kaffir lime contains citronellal and limonene with bioactive properties. Together they provide a broad spectrum of bioactive compounds — the base of Tom Kha and Tom Yam.

What does this mean for you? Galangal + kaffir lime is the base of Tom Kha and Tom Yam. These Thai aromatics offer not just unique flavor, but also a broad spectrum of bioactive compounds.

Immune SystemDigestion

Synergy

Lemongrass

Galangal

Tom Yum base with bioactive action

Technical: Lemongrass contains citral (geranial + neral) with bioactive action. Galangal contains galangin working bioactively via a different mechanism (enzyme modulation). Together they provide a broad spectrum of bioactive compounds. The broth extracts the volatile oils — Tom Yum is a soup traditionally prepared and enjoyed in Thailand.

What does this mean for you? Tom Yum with fresh lemongrass and galangal is more than just soup — it's a traditional Thai recipe with a broad spectrum of bioactive compounds.

Anti-inflammatoryDigestion

Synergy

Fish Sauce

Lime

Umami + acid for perfect Thai balance

Technical: Fish sauce contains free glutamate (umami) from prolonged fish fermentation. Lime contains citric acid that lowers pH and enhances umami flavor perception. Citric acid also stimulates saliva and gastric acid production, improving protein digestion from the dish.

What does this mean for you? Combine fish sauce with lime as base for Thai dressings and dipping sauces. The acid from lime intensifies the umami from fish sauce — the core of Thai cuisine.

Digestion

Ingredients (12)